Guardian Angel
by Kalsypher
Summary: L gets a guardian angel...but she's not exactly an 'angel.'
1. Chapter 1

Castro, Italy 1672

_I picked up my baby girl. She was giggling like any other four year old. I had made her a crown of flowers mixed with seashells. The once sunny sky began to cloud up with a random storm popping up._

_I picked her up, resting her on my hip as we watched the storm form on the cliff side. It was a favorite past time of ours. Watching the storm form then dancing in the rain._

_Our favorite past times were frowned upon by her father. As the clouds turned to a dark grey, the drops they wished so desperately to release began to fall._

_I put her down and watched her spin around in her light pink dress. Her light brown hair was board straight, just like mine and spun out in clumps from the water making it so heavy. The crown on her head seemed to fit the situation._

_She was my baby girl. She was my angel._

_She laughed as I chased her then quickly picked her up and hugged her close. I gave her a kiss on the cheek as I twirled her around._

_She was giggling as she rested her forehead against mine, but her giggles quickly turned into screams as she was taken from me and I was pushed off the cliff side. I grabbed onto the black rock, holding on for my life._

_Staring up at Philip, he held my baby girl in his arms. She was giggling because she was too young to understand. Philip smirked as he dropped a piece of paper. It hit my face and I found the most hideous creature imaginable standing behind him. The creature had a jackal skull for a head, a large white chest with a dirt-matted fur vest. Its thin legs were white as well, with a strange red paint mark that went to its chest, swirling around its pectorals. The skull had no pupils. It was a truly terrifying creature._

_Then they became a blur as a wave washed over me. My hands slipped off the slippery rock and I fell into the ocean. As I was swimming to the top, a rock fell._

_Gabriella Scordato, April 23 1649-June 14 1672._

… … … …

I had been given a second chance. The Fates decided it for me.

Why me?

To be honest, I don't really know.

But, it was evident evil was in the Human World. The person who would save the world from this evil needed a guardian angel. Even though the guardian angel would look like a simple human amongst the crowd, he would always have protection.

There was a Death Note amongst the humans. Whoever held that Death Note needed to be captured before the world turned into chaos.

I learned about the Death Notes since my death. Philip had killed me with a Death Note.

However, much like the Death Note and shinigami, guardian angels had rules as well.

Do not kill.

Do not wear shoes.

Do not speak of that which is not known by the human you are protecting.

That was it.

Three simple rules to follow but, they were incredibly hard to follow.

Well, the last two were. Killing wasn't going to be a problem. Keeping a secret from someone I had to save, I imagined would be tough. Shoes, however made us human. As long as we wore them, we would appear human. The moment we took them off, we would no longer be seen.

But first thing was first. Find the human I had to protect.

His name was L Lawliet. He was one of the world's greatest detectives. In fact, the other two world known detectives were simply aliases of his.

L Lawliet, however, had no face.

Others I had worked with had faces. Then again, they were all, ironically, criminals or leaders of some sort of place in the underworld. I suppose even the Fates don't have access to everything.

But L was in Japan. I was always sent to the correct country and given the necessities of how to blend in. Police badge and transfer papers. Hopefully, I was in the right region. Walking around, glancing at the signs to see where I was, I finally made my way to the center of the city.

There was a large screen in the middle of this major area. Much like Times Square in New York. A disheveled news reporter shuffled nervously through his papers. "We'd like to apologize for the interruption. As of now, we're bringing you a world-wide broadcast from Interpol ICPO. We now take you live to the ICPO."

The screen changed. A young man, around his early 30s, sat at a desk. His black hair was flat to his shoulders, short bangs pushed to the side. He was dressed in a grey suit with a black tie. A globe with white leaves was his background. I supposed that was the symbol for Interpol ICPO. On his desk was a name plate.

Lind L. Tailor.

He had a few hours to live. Perhaps he had a terminal disease he was going to die from. If so, he looked pretty good.

"I head up an international police task force which includes all member nations. I am Lind L. Tailor. Otherwise known as L. Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer. I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, I will hunt you down. I will find you. Kira, I've got a pretty good idea what your motivations may be and, I can guess what you hope to achieve. However, what you're doing right now is evil."

I wasn't sure why Lind had gotten quiet all of a sudden. Maybe this was part of the Death Note? Lind had definitely stepped over the line calling Kira 'evil'. Chances are he was going to die.

I put a thoughtful finger to my lip.

Lind's eyes widened as he shouted out in pain. He grasped at his chest, then his body went limp and he slammed his head on the table.

At least I knew what to look for. Heart attacks.

Shortly after two men carried Lind off the screen, the screen turned white with a black L. The L was scripted like that of a newspaper.

"I-I had to test this just in case, but I-I never thought it would actually happen," a contorted voice said.

Everyone around me stopped walking.

My blood ran cold. So, this was the L Lawliet I was looking for. This is who every criminal feared the most.

"Kira, it seems you can kill people without being there in person. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just witnessed it. Listen to me, Kira. If you did, indeed, kill Lind L. Tailor, the man you just saw die on your television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today."

So much for a disease… Execution sounded better than suffering anyway.

"That was not me. The police arrested him in absolute secrecy so you wouldn't have heard about him on TV or through the internet. It appears that not even you have access to these types of criminals. But I assure you, L is real. I do exist. Now, try to kill me! What's wrong? Kill me!"

Well, L had the upper hand. Couldn't kill without names and faces. The crowd seemed excited about this. Some were actually cheering for Kira to kill L. I wasn't sure what the detective had done, but he was a detective. A damn good one too. He was never wrong in the past. He wasn't going to be wrong this time.

"Well Kira," the contorted voice began calmly. "It seems that you can't kill me after all. So there are some people you can't kill. You've given me a useful hint. Let me do the same. I'll tell you something I think you'll find interesting. Although this was announced as a world-wide broadcast, the truth is we are only broadcasting in the Kanto region of Japan. I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until we found you, but it looks like that won't be necessary. I now know where you are. The police treated your first murder as an unrelated incident but in actuality, your victim was a suspect in Shinjuku. Of all the criminals that have recently died of heart attacks, this one's crime was by far the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported inside Japan. I used that information to deduce this much; you are in Japan, and your first victim was nothing more than a little experiment, which means you haven't been killing for very long. We decided to broadcast in Kanto first because of its large population and luckily, we found you. To be completely honest with you, I never expected things to go this well, but it won't be too long now before I am able to sentence you to death. Naturally, I am very interested in how you're able to commit these murders without being present, but I don't mind waiting a little bit longer. You can answer all of my questions when I catch you. Let's meet again soon, Kira."

The screen went blank.

I whistled, impressed at what had just happened. L definitely had an upper hand now.

"Of course you would be impressed," a man spat at me. "You're just a kid. You don't understand what good Kira is doing for the world."

"If I'm such a child, why am I not agreeing with Kira?" I asked. "You, sir, are a child."

He snatched me up by my shirt causing me to hover a few inches from the ground. "I'll show you a child."

Maybe killing was a lot harder than it sounded.

"There is a police officer twenty feet behind you. Hit me and you'll get arrested. How long do you think you'll last in jail before Kira kills you as well. Will you support him then?"

He tossed me back. I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder again. "Kira's world of black and white is not right from wrong. It is those who oppose him and those who support him. If you wish to live, you support him. If you wish to die, you oppose him. If you wish to keep others from dying, therefore opposing him, you will die. And that is the sacrifice I am taking."

As I walked towards headquarters, I could hear the quiet murmurs of everyone I passed. Some spoke of L, some spoke of Kira. All shared the same the conversation. L was not going to catch Kira. Kira would kill L before L even got a chance.

But, from that broadcast, I did learn a lot. Kira needed a name and a face. He could kill at a distance. He was impulsive. He was in the Kanto region of Japan. He had a Death Note.

I hummed as I walked into headquarters and went to the elevator. Going to the floor, I found a bunch of stressed out men. I raised an eyebrow as I walked through, looking at everyone.

My first stop was the chief of detectives. He was working with L on this, probably, or could point me in the right direction.

"I'm sorry, is there something I can help you with?" Someone asked from behind me.

I turned to the man. Slicked back brown hair, large glasses, a dark brown mustache just above his upper lip, dressed in a tan suit with a navy tie, and late 40s-early 50s. This was Soichiro Yagami.

"I'm Gabrielle Rocha. I'm here to assist in the Kira case."

He raised an eyebrow as he looked me over. "You don't look like a cop."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a badge. "Transferring from Portugal, sir."

He took it and nodded, "Very well. I'm afraid after that stunt L pulled, we've become extremely busy with phone calls and emails. I'll get your photo I.D. transferred to a Japanese badge and get all your paperwork handled. Please, help with the tip lines."

I went to an open desk and picked up the ringing phone, "This is Rocha, do you have an emergency or any information about Kira?"

"I think I've seen Kira," the shaking man said. "He's my neighbor."

"Can I have a name and address, sir?"

"No! No!"

The line went dead.

As the phones rang continuously and the emails came through, I jotted down both information from the phone calls and the emails. I looked up with a badge was placed next to me.

I glanced up, mouthing 'thank you' to the young man that had placed it there. I hung up the phone and sighed.

"Uhm, I'm Touta Matsuda. When did you join the task force?"

I looked at the clock on the wall, "Eight hours ago."

"Oh," he said.

It was clear he was nervous.

"Should women be working on this case?" He asked skeptically.

"Of all the criminals Kira has killed…"

I picked up the phone and jotted down the information then hung up.

"He hasn't killed a woman yet."

I picked up the phone and scribbled more information down then hung up.

"So, if Kira is working alone, he has some sympathy for women. If he is a group, they've either decided not to kill women whether for morals or not…"

I picked up the phone and wrote more information down then hung up.

"So, it's most likely Kira is a man that sees women as the weaker and he might not kill me if he gets the chance to."

The young officer's eyes widened, "You figured that much out on your own?"

"Yeah. If you're not doing anything, here's some people that claimed to have seen Kira. Go check them out."

"Uh…right," he said, taking the stack of papers from me and heading off.

Around midnight, the phones started to calm down.

I sighed as I rubbed my face and looked through all the reports I had.

"Hey Rookie!"

I looked over my shoulder to a man with an afro. Shuichi Aizawa. He offered me a cup of coffee and a sincere smile.

"I'm Shuichi Aizawa."

I smiled as I took a sip of the bitter liquid. "Gabrielle Rocha."

"C'mon. L's called a meeting."

I stood up and stretched then followed him to the conference room. Other detectives had already filled the room and I felt very out of place in my jeans and jacket. The Chief was sitting at the front of the room. I took a seat in the back by a man with a laptop facing the room. For whatever reason he had his face covered with some sort of weird black fabric. He wore a brown fedora and brown trench.

"Alright, let's start with the tip-line reports," the Chief said.

"Yes sir," a man said as he stood up.

The man sitting next to me handed me a thick file. With a grateful smile, I flipped through the pages to find where this information was.

"Up to this point, we've received 3,029 responses about the murders via telephone and email. Most of these have been curious citizens and prank calls. But, there were fourteen people who claimed to either know Kira or who have seen him. All fourteen accounts were followed up on and carefully documented. However, nobody could provide any information that wasn't already publically available. And lastly, this week there were an additional 21 people claiming to be Kira."

The Chief shared a look with the guy next to him then cleared his throat.

"We didn't want to rule anything out, so we followed standard procedure and created files for all 21 of them."

"Uh-huh, alright. On to the victim reports," the Chief said.

"Yes sir," a man said as the other sat down and he stood up.

"Upon further investigation, we have confirmed information that the heart attack victims were in fact publically available in Japan immediately prior to their deaths. Also, concerning L's request that we investigate the time of death for each victim, we found that all of them occurred between the hours of 4PM and 2AM on weekdays local time with 68% of them of them occurring between 8PM and 12AM. Weekends and holidays appear to be the exception of this rule as the times of death vary much more widely than during the week."

"That information is extremely relevant for us," a contorted voice said from the laptop in front of the guy sitting next to me.

I pulled a pen out of my pocket and circled the times of death for the victims.

"It suggests that given the times of death, our suspect could very well be a student."

Everyone turned to look at him while I scribbled 'student' onto the page and circled it. A student seemed right, but a teacher could have also been a suspect. The two had similar times to commit such crimes, though I doubted a teacher would just start killing so skeptically at first. If he preached idealism to his students, he would have tortured the victims.

"Based on the fact that Kira is only killing criminals, I think it's safe to assume that he's driven by a very idealistic notion of justice. It's highly possible that he may aspire to become some god-like figure. We're dealing with an individual who has a very childish concept of right and wrong."

Quiet murmurs echoed through the room.

"Of course, this is mere speculation at this point. But still I recommend you reexamine any assumptions you've made whether or not our suspect could be a student. We must consider every possibility. I leave that as the shortest route to Kira. Please, continue your report."

"Huh?" The Chief asked as if pulled from a spell. "Oh, right. Does anyone else have something they'd like to add?"

Matsuda raised his hand. "Uh, yes sir."

"What is it, Matsuda?" He asked, as if expecting something stupid to come from the man's mouth.

"Uhm, well I'm not saying this to support Kira or to condone the murders, but in the last few days, throughout the world, but especially here in Japan, we've observed the dramatic decrease in the number of violent crimes committed."

Everyone in the room groaned.

"Give the kid some credit," I said as he sat down, embarrassed at everyone's disapproval of his statement.

Everyone in the room quickly turned to look at me.

I stood up, "All of us know it but it's time to face it. Kira is killing criminals. If what L said is true, then we've got a bigger problem on our hands. Someone aspiring to be a god-like figure will come after us if we get too close to figuring out who he is."

No one spoke and I sat back down. Someone slammed his hands on the table as he stood up, "Why the hell is a woman helping with this investigation?!"

"Gabrielle has been transferred here from Portugal," the Chief said. "I believe she'll be of great use to us."

"How do we know she isn't working for Kira?" The man asked as he glared sharply at me.

I rested my chin on my hand as I gazed at him.

"If I was Kira, I wouldn't be afraid to kill women. So far, women have not been killed," I stated.

"Leaving the opening that Kira must be male," the contorted voice said. "He shows sympathy for women."


	2. Chapter 2

I sighed as I went back to the phones. That was where my report stayed. I yawned as I ripped out page after page and separated them into files.

"Rocha," a stern voice said above me.

I looked up at the Chief. "Yes Chief?"

"You're a good detective," he said. "Despite all the victims being male, how can you be sure it's not a woman that's out to get men because she believes they're all evil?"

"The first victim wouldn't have been that man at the school. She would have gone after all the types of men that she hated. Pedophiles, rapists, murderers. Whoever harmed her in the past would have been an example and it would have followed that line. After a while, when all of them were dead, she might stop until another becomes public. But the reasons for the crimes are sporadic. There is no connection between any of these criminals other than they are criminals." I twirled a piece of my hair as I stared at the computer screen, "I don't think she would have killed Lind Tailor either."

"And why is that?" He asked as he sat by me.

"Well, Lind was not who she wanted to kill. She wanted to kill everyone she hated. Even if L said she was evil, I don't think she would have cared. She'd sees justice in her own cause. If anything, she probably would have backed away for a few years or killed all of the men she was after at one time."

"I see," he said quietly. "Thank you for helping out with this case."

"Any time, Chief."

For the night, I was left at headquarters with a spare few others. As I balanced a pencil on my nose, I considered the possibilities. A student in the Kanto region. Probably a prep school student. The way those kids study, they would have that weird black and white world.

Kira did not know Lind L. Tailor was a criminal. Kira killed him to prove what he was capable of.

There was some sort of challenge going on. L against Kira. Two headstrong people that were determined to make the other fall. One would give way. If either would die was hard to say. I didn't know much about Death Notes and shinigami, but I did know I could keep L from dying by a Death Note.

I sighed as I took the pencil off my nose and balanced it on my finger instead. My mind was running in circles.

Why would a student be so set to kill? What sort of personality would they have? Would they be a bully? Would they stand up for the weak? Were they over looked completely?

A bully was possible. He wanted control. The 'hero' was not likely. He wanted justice. He didn't care about the weak. Being over looked completely…It was more probable. He wanted attention. Since he couldn't get it at school, whether he was too shy or no one wanted to talk to him because they thought he was 'strange', this would be his way of lashing out. Maybe he was the one being bullied. No…the ones that were bullying him would be dead, not criminals.

Unless it was a group of students. Even then, it would be other students dying.

Just criminals.

"I don't think you wrote enough possibilities down," someone said.

I gave Aizawa a tired smile, "What time is it?"

"630."

He picked up my notebook and looked it over. "Are these sleep deprived thoughts?"

"Probably," I said as I yawned. "I don't remember half of what I wrote. Hell, I didn't even know I was writing."

"Well, these are certainly interesting concepts. I'll get the Chief to tell L about them." He flipped the page and his eyes widened. "What in the world?"

He showed me a picture I must have subconsciously drawn when I couldn't think of anything else.

It was a flower eating a unicorn. A very detailed drawing of a flower eating a unicorn.

"Do you want me to get some colored pencils so it will be pretty when you present it to the Chief?" I asked, resting my cheek on my fist as I looked up at him.

"Uh, no. You go home and sleep. I'll see you tonight."

Right. Daily whatevers with L.

I stood up and grabbed my bag.

"Oh, and try to look more professional when you come back," Aizawa said.

"Uh-huh," I mumbled as I walked to the elevator.

I headed straight to the apartment. The morning walk was cold from the night, but that made getting to the apartment even better. The Fates always got an apartment for me to stay in. Made life easier.

But, with an easy life, there were still problems. Guardian angels in human form function like humans. Eat, sleep, so on. We still needed it.

After a shower, I went straight to bed.

A shrill scream woke me up. I sighed as I slammed my hand on my night stand, moving it around to find the annoying communication device. Finally, I managed to find it and flip it open.

"Rocha," I muttered.

"This is Aizawa. We need you back at headquarters."

I hung up and crawled out of the bed. After getting dressed, I headed back to headquarters. Matsuda was waiting for me when I walked out of the elevator.

He handed me a cup of coffee and dragged me to the news room. A single large screen TV rested on the wall.

"There has been a criminal dying every hour on the hour. All heart attacks," the Chief informed me.

I looked at him, "How many so far?"

"Twelve."

I twisted a piece of hair around my finger. "I'll see what I can come up with."

"Thank you," he said as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

I went back to the desk and pulled up a website with the news playing live. I tapped my pencil on my thumb as I watched.

They had to die on the hour. Not at some strange minute.

I balanced the pencil on my nose again as I stared at the ceiling.

Every hour. On the hour.

So, Kira wanted to play a game.

Or he was really uptight.

"Why are you back, Rookie?" Aizawa asked as he walked by.

"The Chief liked my picture so much he wants me to draw another one," I told him. I sighed as I placed my chin in my hands and stared at the computer screen. "I'm getting nowhere this time."

"Nah, you've got an open mind Rookie," he told me as he picked up my notebook. "We always need over-creative minds on cases." He hummed thoughtfully, "You think he's got some sort of mental thing?"

"Why would he kill on the hour?" I said as the news announced another criminal's death. Looking at the clock, I sighed. 3AM. "Odd times bother him. He's finding out more and more about his power."

Kira was becoming more dangerous. Not even shinigami know everything about Death Notes.

"Did L have a meeting?" I asked.

No one answered. I sighed as I continued watching the TV. Petty criminals were dying. As I listened to the news, I pulled up the most recent criminal's prison. He was a lowlife as far as criminals go. Domestic violence. There were serial rapists, pedophiles, and murderers in that place. But he killed a domestic violence guy.

I balanced the pencil on my finger and looked up when Aizawa came back. "You're doing good, Rookie. C'mon, let's get some breakfast."

I stood up and followed Aizawa out. When we got to the nearby coffee shop, I was ready to pass out. I got extra espresso in the coffee and five donuts.

Aizawa laughed at me, "Tired?"

"Just a junkie," I told him as I ate the donut. "So, what's going on? When are we seeing L?"

"Tonight, if you make it that long."

I sighed as I took a sip of my strong coffee. "I'll just pass out during the meeting."

As I watched the news again, I hoped to see something other than Kira. The weather maybe?

"Think the rest of the world is scared?" I asked.

"I don't see why they wouldn't be. It's like Matsuda said, crime is decreasing."

"He's killed close to 48 petty criminals and L's stand in, who was a criminal. He's not afraid of killing anyone."

"But like you said, he isn't killing women," Aizawa pointed out.

I rubbed my temples, "We'll have to see what L says. Hopefully we're getting closer. Chances are, we aren't."

"What makes you say that?"

"I dunno."

Because Death Notes were impossible to trace. That was exactly why.

When we got back to headquarters, Aizawa went on to his desk and I sat at mine, balancing my pencil on my finger and watching the news. We couldn't save them. Death Notes didn't allow it unless there was a guardian angel there to cancel it out.

"What?!" I heard the Chief exclaim.

I leaned back and looked toward the conference room. I stood up and walked to the door, silently opening it and walking in, then silently closing it behind me.

"I-I don't believe this!" The Chief continued. "Another 23 victims yesterday?! Are these confirmed?!"

"Y-Yes," a detective confirmed.

"The day before…there were another 23 victims. He's killing one off on the hour every hour."

"Considering how this pattern has been going on for two week days…"

"It does punch some holes in our theory of our suspect being a student."

"Maybe not. Anyone can skip two days of school."

"You're missing the point," the contorted voice of the laptop said, annoyed with the cops. "It does appear less likely that Kira's a student. But that's not the message he's sending by doing this. Ask yourselves: why every hour? And why are all these victims in prisons where they're sure to be noticed immediately? Why not other criminals like before? I believe Kira is telling us that not only can he kill from a distance, but he can also determine the time of death. But, something's not right. As soon as we began to suspect Kira might be a student, the pacing of the killings changed as if to contradict that theory. Coincidence? No, too convenient. This can only mean that Kira has access to police information."


	3. Chapter 3

A few days passed since the realization that Kira did get information directly from the police. It would only be a matter of time before L had someone looking into us. I wondered who it would be.

Until I noticed someone following me. Well, it certainly didn't take long. I figured everyone was getting followed. How many people were following us? How long would it take for L to decide we were trustworthy?

On my way home, I heard shouting and cheers. Curiosity getting the best of me, I walked down the street. The faint orange glow made me nervous. Staying against the wall, I peeked around the corner to see a large crowd gathered around a bonfire. I suspected it was for warmth rather than actual rebellion against the city.

Glancing at where everyone was picketing, I found myself in front of a city hall. There were various chants of Kira killing a man suspected of murder. The police had a barricade, but there was only so much cops could do. Would Kira actually kill this guy if his 'fan base' asked him? That was not a comforting thought.

If Kira was going for a god-like persona, he would give into this obscene request. The power would only help his ego.

I stayed against the wall, watching this insanity. Would L supporters come? Or were they too afraid?

My phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and put it to my ear, "Rocha."

"Where are you, Rookie?" Aizawa asked. "Your shift is about to start."

"Aizawa, are there cameras at the courthouse?"

"Uh…let me check."

I nearly dropped my phone when hell broke loose. This man came from nowhere and shot one of the lead Kira supporters. That started an entire riot. The police ran to stop everyone and one man slipped by heading into the court house.

I ran after him and found him in the room where the suspect was in trial. He sat calmly, blending in well with all the others. I took a seat behind him and leaned forward.

"Move and I'll blow your head off," I said quietly. "Get up and walk out."

He slowly stood up. I saw him make a move for whatever weapon he had and I quickly twisted him toward the door, getting in the way of the gun.

"I said out," I said, my gun to his head.

The room was silent as this man kept his eyes on me. I took the gun from him and he backed away from me heading to the door. The moment he was outside, officers arrested him.

I sighed as I headed back to headquarters.

"You're late, Rookie," the Chief said irritated with me.

"I got caught up with Kira supporters," I told him.

I took the gun out of my pocket and placed it on the desk.

"Uh, this is evidence," I told him.

He took it from me and handed it off.

"Tell me about these supporters," the Chief said.

"There was a murder suspect in court. A man came out of nowhere and shot one of the supporters and hell broke loose. One man got past the barricade and got into the courthouse. I found him in the courtroom. So, I got him out and the gun he was planning to use to kill the suspect."

He sighed, "So now we've got supporters. Keep watch on it."

Keeping up with these riots was difficult. They were world-wide, not just in Japan. Searching the internet for 'Kira' I found extremists all over the world. Riots in California, USA, Mato Grosso, Brazil, Yakitia, Russia. People were dying in all of them from gun shots to poisonings.

Matsuda nudged me. I looked away from the article I was reading and saw the Chief on the phone.

"All were heart attacks? It's him. What?! Bizarre behavior before they died? Could you be more specific? What do you mean? Then they didn't just die from heart attacks."

"Chief," a contorted voice called.

I looked back to see the man with the laptop again. "We can't release details of these men's deaths to the media. As far as they're concerned, these are just heart attacks. I have reason to believe that Kira was performing some kind of test using these criminals. And if that's the case, we would only be giving him the results if this information is leaked to the public."

"Right, I understand," the Chief said.

"So now he's experimenting on his victims?" Someone asked as I turned my attention back to the stories reporting the riots.

"Horrible," another replied quietly.

"He's playing with peoples' lives as if all of this was just a game," the Chief said disgusted. "It's unforgivable."

"It's the riots that we're going to have a problem with," I said as I continued reading. "Extremists across the world are supporting Kira, some going to the extreme of killing people that don't support Kira."

The Chief sighed. "Those will be worse than Kira. We'll have to maintain them and keep trials to those that need to know."

Suddenly, three pictures popped on my screen. I yawned as I looked from the pentagram, to the letter, then the man that died in the staff bathroom.

None of it mattered. They were tests like L said. But…

_L, do you know_

That was the first letters of every line on the note. L probably caught that.

More days, more riots, more criminals dead. A suicide note had come through, but it terrified me.

_Gods of death_

What was Kira trying to do? Tell the world about the supernatural? If he did…we were going to be in a lot of trouble.

Christmas came. I stayed in the office and watched and read about criminals dying. I had given up the day because I didn't have a family to stay with, and the Chief trusted my strange sleep deprived work.

I sighed as I rubbed my eyes. Getting up, I stretched and looked at the guy with the laptop. "I'm gonna get coffee. Do you want anything?"

"No, thank you."

"Too bad, you're getting one anyway. All you do is sit there and no one talks to you. Except L. You never drink anything, you never eat anything. You're getting coffee on Christmas."

I walked out and came back with a cup of coffee and creamer and sugar if he wanted it, then took my cup back to my computer.

There wasn't much happening. Even the supporters had gone quiet for the holiday.

"Rookie," the contorted voice said.

I sighed as I looked at the laptop. Even L didn't know my name.

"Please, turn up the television."

I looked from him to the TV. It said 'breaking news' but there wasn't anything going on. I picked up the remote and turned up the volume.

Something was happening at a nearby prison. I leaned forward as I watched it. One of the inmates had gone on a killing spree. Officers and other inmates and now he had an officer hostage in a solitary confinement room.

"Too bad that's just an insane man rather than Kira," I said. "Kira will probably see it and-"

'We just got a report that the officer is alright! The inmate died of a heart attack!"

I rested my cheek on my hand as I narrowed my eyes. Perhaps that had been Kira.

Was it a hero complex?

No. He didn't want to save lives. His death had been predetermined.

I searched the internet for the man. He was a public convict. Arrested for petty theft.

"He is a low criminal," L said. "Are you certain it isn't Kira?"

"We're about to find out," I said as I picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Can I help you?"

"This is Detective Rocha. I just watched the hostage situation, and I was wondering if you could send the medical records of that inmate."

"Right away."

I hung up and got up as the fax machine started to purr. Picking up the papers and sitting back down, I went through the papers.

"Schizophrenic. Refusing medication. This was his second time attacking an officer. Solitary confinement for the past six months. Explains why he went to that room. He felt safe there."

I put the papers on the table and leaned back as the news praised Kira.

"How can you be certain this was not Kira?"

"His heart attack was Kira. None of this other information was released about the man. No one knew he was schizophrenic and if Kira did know, he wouldn't have known he had stopped taking the medication. It's fortunate Kira planned his death for this hour. Otherwise, the officer would have died, most likely. It's unfortunate that this may give Kira a more god-like ambition. If he leaves criminals to saving the world, we will have a problem."

After Christmas, I was given two days off. I didn't get much rest though. The insanity that was going on with the news, from criminal deaths to what had happened on Christmas, there was just too much going on.

When I returned to work, I felt like I had been hit by a truck.

"You get two days off and you still look like you've been working," Aizawa said. "You missed a lot. The 12 FBI agents that died, L had brought in to investigate us."

I gave a tired look at the man with the afro, "Sucks for those FBI agents."

Everyone in the room stopped and looked at me. "Rookie, I don't know what they taught you in Portugal, but we do not blow off deaths like that so easily! The FBI has withdrawn its assistance!" The Chief yelled.

"Chief," I sighed. "If L brought the FBI here to investigate us and Kira killed them then Kira is amongst us. We're all in danger right now. At any moment, any of us could die."

No one made a sound.

I yawned and headed toward the break room where coffee was plentiful. Smiling as I poured a cup, enjoying the strong smell, I drank some and let a sigh of relief go. Liquid energy.

I looked up to Matsuda when he walked in.

"Is that true?" He asked timidly. "Is Kira really here?"

"Probably. We'll know in time. If he is, I'll be the first to go."

Matsuda looked shocked and terrified, "You? But why?"

I held up three fingers, "I'm a cop. I'm a woman. I'm catching what others are missing. He hasn't killed a cop, just FBI because they were investigating them. He hasn't killed a woman. The more I figure out the more cornered he'll feel. And that is something he cannot handle."

"O-Oh, I see," Matsuda said quietly.

I smiled as I put my hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it Matsuda. If I can help it, I won't let you die."

He gave a shaky smile and followed me out of the break room.

"Oh, right, everyone's in the conference room," Matsuda said.

I followed him in and sat down by the man with the laptop.

"We now know that Kira doesn't just target criminals," the Chief said. "He'll kill anyone who opposes him. It's quite possible we may all be killed by Kira. Think of your own lives. Your families and all the others you'll be leaving behind. If anyone wants to leave this investigation, now is the time. You won't be demoted if you choose not to stay. You have my word. But, if you're not absolutely sure, then we don't need you. You have to be willing to fight against him. Even if that means making the ultimate sacrifice. That is all," he finished, closing his eyes. His fingers were entwined in a thoughtful manner as he waited.

Slowly, detectives began to leave. After a while, the Chief looked up.

"Six men, huh?" The Chief asked. "Well, seven including myself. Still, I'm grateful to see that there's as many as six of you willing to risk your lives to face evil."

"The fact that you've chosen to stay means that you have a strong sense of justice," the contorted voice from the laptop commented. "I trust all of you."

I yawned as I took a sip of my coffee.

"Hold on a second," Aizawa said while looking back at the man, the laptop, and me. "L just said he's decided to trust us now. But honestly what reason do we have to trust him?"

"The same reason skydivers trust their parachutes to open after they jump out of a plane," I said. "After seeing others rely on it, you figure you can too."

Aizawa gave me a strange look, "Look, Rookie, you're new at this. Don't talk your nonsense."

"Look, L," Ide said. "All of us have agreed to put our lives at risk to bring Kira to justice. Some of us realize what that really means. So, I hope you understand what this means. We're really sticking our necks out here."

"But you never have to show your face, do you?"Aizawa asked. "You just give the orders. I don't see how we can work alongside you in those conditions."

I opened my mouth.

"Shut up, Rookie," Aizawa said. "I'm tired of hearing you jump to his rescue."

I yawned as I glared at him.

"L," the Chief said calmly. "Not all of us are like Rookie. We don't blindly trust someone. If all of us are going to work together on this investigation, and if you truly meant what you said about trusting the seven of us, could you come here and meet us all in person?"

"The thought had already crossed my mind," the computer responded. "After all I did say that I trusted all of you."

The man turned the laptop around. I stood up and moved to where I could see what was happening. It was an address with simple directions.

All of us went outside and waited.

"Why is he seeking our help now?" Ide asked. "There's only seven of us! He's solved all these difficult cases by himself in the past, so what makes this one so different? The way L's been conducting things so far, odds are he's going to send a stand in or a proxy of some kind to meet us instead of coming himself. It's not like we'd ever know."

"A proxy, huh?" Aizawa contemplated. "Well…it is possible."

Matsuda stepped forward, "I believe L. I think we can trust him. And besides, I don't really see how we can solve this case without him."

"I agree," Mogi said."

"From the beginning, he's been very upfront about the fact that he would need the help of the police on this case," the Chief thought aloud. "Perhaps, we should think of it like…he's been waiting for this to happen all along."

"Why would he do something like that?" Matsuda asked.

"There were a number of people on the Task Force who distrusted L before this investigation began," the Chief explained. "And, once we got started, detectives started resigning left and right. Following that, classified information was leaked. So, I'm not surprised that L decided not to trust us."

"In other words, he was waiting for the Task Force to narrow down to only those investigators he could trust. And to do that, he had to weed out anyone who wasn't fully committed."

Ide growled annoyed with everything, "Careful working with that guy, I'm leaving the Task Force. You don't have to worry. I won't try to follow you. I'm not interested in finding L."

I watched as he walked back inside. Now we were down to six.

Good enough.

"Well, I think we can trust L," Ukita said. "So I'd be willing to cooperate with him for this investigation."

"Count me in," Aizawa agreed.

The Chief gave a short nod.

L had directed us to split into two groups. Ukita, Aizawa, and Mogi would be the first. The Chief, Matsuda, and I would be the second. At thirty minute intervals, we were supposed to arrive at L's door.

When we got to L's door, Mogi, Ukita, and Aizawa were still standing outside the room.

"Not scared of him, are you?" I joked.

"Rookie, that's enough," the Chief said.

The Chief knocked. I heard a soft click.

"It's unlocked," a smooth voice said behind the door. "Please, let yourselves in."

The Chief opened the door.

No one really expected this.

His black hair was thick and messy, a natural part to the left, some of his bangs falling almost in front of his eyes. His onyx eyes seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Dark lines under his eyes looked like badly drawn eyeliner, but it appeared more to be a natural tone from insomnia. His skin was pale and he was thin. His white shirt seemed baggy for his small frame, but his long sleeves seemed too short for his long arms. His pants were baggy as well and he wasn't wearing shoes.

"I am L," he said monotonously.

He scratched his head, probably uncomfortable with all of us seeing him.

The Chief pulled out his badge, "I am Yagami of the NPA."

"Matsuda."

"I'm Aizawa."

"Mogi."

"Ukita."

There was silence, then Aizawa smacked the back of my head, "Introduce yourself."

"Oh, I'm the rookie."

The Chief sighed, "I'm very sorry we're late. Currently, the six of us are-"

L held his hand out like a gun, "Bang."

"What the hell was that?" Aizawa asked.

L gave a low groan from his throat. It sounded like he was a teacher repeating a lesson again.

"If I were Kira, you'd be dead, Mr. Soichiro Yagami of the NPA," L said.

He turned to the side, his head turned to us. It was evident now how hunched over he was.

"Kira needs a face and a name in order to commit murder," L explained. "But I'm sure you've already figured that much out, haven't you? Please do not give out your name so carelessly. Instead, let's value our lives." His dark eyes landed on me, "What is your name?"

"Gabrielle Rocha."

He started toward what looked like a living room. This suit must have been huge.

"I knew Kira needed a face to kill, but I don't remember any evidence of him requiring a name as well," Matsuda muttered.

"There's no way to verify if this is related, but criminals whose names were never released publically or whose names were spelled incorrectly in the media have not been targeted. We briefly went over it at one of our meetings."

"That's enough small talk for now," L said. "Come this way."

We started toward the living room.

"Please turn off all cellphones, handhelds, and any other communication devices and leave them on the table right there," L directed.

My eyes landed on the checkerboard table and I pulled my phone out to turn it off but Aizawa snatched it from my hand. "What do you think we're going to be using our cellphones during these meetings to leak information?"

"It's alright," the Chief said. "Just do as he says."

"You're in charge of that," I said as I walked away from Aizawa.

I watched as L climbed into a chair. He kept his feet on the cushion, his knees up to his chin and his hands resting on them. "No, I just find them distracting," L explained. "I can't _stand_ it when peoples' cellphones are ringing while I'm trying to talk. Let me start off that no one takes notes during these meetings. That means when we leave headquarters, any information we need is committed to memory. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

I picked up the pillow in the seat I decided to take and held it to my chest as I sat down. He watched everyone as they sat down. When everyone was settled, he poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. From the look on his face, he wasn't happy with it. Placing the cup down, he started picking up sugar cubes and putting them in the drink.

"Excuse me L?" Matsuda started.

"Mm, and I'll have to ask you to stop calling me L. It's Ryuzaki now, just to be safe."

"Uh-Ok, Ryuzaki," Matsuda started again. "If we know that he needs a name and a face to kill, couldn't we cut down the number of victims by keeping criminals names from the news?"

"If we do that, we'll only be putting the general public at risk."

"The general public?" Ukita asked.

"Why?" Aizawa asked.

L stopped stirring his tea to look up at us. "Kira is childish and he hates losing."

"But how do you-" Matsuda started.

"Just what do you mean?" The Chief interrupted.

"Well," L started. "I'm also childish and hate to lose. That's how I know."

He picked up his tea and took a sip again.

"Ryuzaki, would you mind being a little more specific for us?" The Chief asked.

"Early on in the investigation, I tried to provoke Kira with that broadcast. Up until then, we thought that Kira would only go after criminals. But as we all witnessed, he didn't hesitated to kill my stand-in. Also, as soon as I said he was in the Kanto region, in defiance, he made sure his next victims came from within Japan. As if to say 'what are you going to do about it?'" He took another sip. "He's met each of my challenges head on and he's never missed an opportunity to return the favor. Now, what do you think will happen if we used media restrictions to hide criminals from someone like that?"

I needed coffee. He lost me somewhere. L sure was chatty.

"I guess…" Matsuda said, thinking of the possibilities.

"If you choose to withhold the names of your worst of criminals, I'll kill petty criminals or the innocent. I'm holding the whole world hostage, so who's it going to be? I'm not the only one here, but those who oppose me by helping criminals, you are truly evil." L sighed heavily, "That's exactly how Kira thinks. In any case, let's look at other ways we can use the media to bring him out."

"But how?" Aizawa asked.

L looked to the ceiling, his hand resting around his mouth in a thoughtful way, "How about something like this. Death of FBI agents infuriates the US. Latest killings anger the international policing community. Nations agree to send 1500 agents to Japan." He looked back at us, "For Kira, this will be way beyond what he faced with the FBI. He'll see everyone as a potential threat. Psychologically, he'll start to feel cornered and that will cause him to take some sort of drastic action."

"Th-That's interesting," Ukita said with an impressed smile.

"So he'll think they are 1500 when there's really only six of us," Aizawa said. "And since none of these investigators exist, Kira won't be able to kill them.

Ukita leaned forward, "It just might work!"

"Well, before we celebrate, I'll tell you the rest of my thoughts on the Kira case," L said.

What a rain cloud.

"Kira works alone." He put his thumb to his lips, "He had access to all our classified information."

"What evidence do you have that he's working alone?" Aizawa asked.

"Hold on, Aizawa," the Chief said. "Let's listen to his entire theory before asking questions."

"We know he needs a name and a face to kill," L said. "And to some extent he can control the victims' time of death and their actions before dying. We already know that much. Please keep that in mind," he pulled out a marker and pulled the top off. "And listen carefully to what I have to say next."

He started drawing on the table, "On December 14, twelve FBI agents enter Japan. Here we are on December 19. Using prison inmates, Kira conducts experiments, manipulating his victims' actions before they die. In other words, in this window of only five days, Kira became aware of the FBIs presence, and obviously, felt threatened. Because he didn't know any of their names or faces, he was at a disadvantage. He needed to know how much control he had over his victims so he could use it against the twelve agents. And as we all know, on December 27, during this period, to the best of our knowledge, at least 23 individuals died of heart attacks. But these victims were different from Kira's previous targets. They were all alleged criminals, ex-convicts, or suspects in ongoing investigations. So, legally speaking, they were innocent."

"That's true," the Chief confirmed.

"What this indicates is that Kira had to manipulate these criminals in order to kill those FBI agents. He killed that many people so we couldn't tell the decoys from those who were actually used. In truth, he probably only needed a few. He waited eight days so the FBI could investigate other suspects which meant there would be no timeline linking him to their deaths. I suspect Kira had to be one of the people being investigated between the 14 and the 19 of December. In fact, I have no doubt."

L picked up a stack of papers. "These are files provided by the FBI. They contain additional information you might find useful. For obvious reasons, you're not permitted to take these out of this room, but-"

"Amazing!" Matsuda exclaimed. "There might only be six of us, but with this much information, we should be able to cover a lot of ground!"

"We'll split into two teams. One traces the FBI agents. The other, the heart attack victims," Aizawa said.

"There weren't that many people who had access to this information from headquarters. And of those, the FBI only investigated a small group in the first five days," Matsuda said as he looked at the papers.

"Yeah," Aizawa agreed.

"So, does anyone have any questions?" L asked, a blank look on his face.

"Actually Ryuzaki, I do have one question for you," the Chief said. "And it pertains to what you said to us earlier. About how you hate to lose. Does the fact that you've shown us your face means that you've lost? Just being here, are you admitting defeat to Kira?"

"That's right," L replied quietly. "By showing my face to you now and by sacrificing the lives of 12 FBI agents, I have lost the battle. But I'm not going to lose the war."


	4. Chapter 4

"This is the first time I've ever put my life on the line," L told us. "I want to show Kira that we're all willing to risk our lives if that's what it takes." He smiled with a small chuckle, "And that justice will prevail no matter what."

I smiled lightly. L was going to be the backbone of this team. His emotions controlled everyone. And as long as he believed we could catch Kira, the others would believe we could catch Kira.

"Hey, yeah, that's right," Mogi agreed.

"I like the sound of that," Matsuda said.

"We can do this!" Ukita encouraged.

"Alright then, let's do this, Ryuzaki!" Aizawa said enthusiastically.

"Before we go any further, I have to be absolutely sure none of you are Kira," L said. "So I will need to speak with each of you individually before you leave today."

I yawned as I held the pillow closer to my chest.

"Ms. Gabrielle," L suddenly called.

My tired eyes slowly moved to him, "Yes?"

"I would like to speak with you first. If you will, please come with me."

He stood up and I followed him to the window, away from the others. I didn't expect him to interview me in front of everyone.

"You've been most useful," he said quietly. "Your silence this evening has bothered me. Is there something you need to tell me and can't say in front of the others?"

His dark eyes never left the city. I sighed as I put my hands in my pockets, "Something like that. It's about the suicide notes. Have you gotten another one?"

"Yes."

"What secret code did Kira put this time?"

His eyes met mine in the reflection, "You noticed it."

"It's hard not to when he's been playing games like this. Everything must be considered a riddle. Only, neither of you are finishing your riddles. Much like a scavenger hunt leading to an ultimate prize, you're both leaving small hints along the way."

His eyes went back to the city, "Kira may be playing games, but I am not."

"It's still a riddle. He's just not playing fair with small hints at a time."

He sighed some, "The last one said 'like apples.'

"L, do you know gods of death like apples," I muttered. "That's interesting." My eyes met his in the reflection, "However, I cannot tell you what needs to be told until you say it. When that occurs, I will be able to tell you everything. Maybe even who Kira is, should we meet him."

"Is Kira controlling you?"

"No," I said as I watched a traffic light change. "Though, Kira victims do not know they are being controlled, I would have died by now."

"I see," he said quietly.

"No one I have passed since I arrived has been Kira. The moment I meet Kira, I will let you know. Finding evidence is going to be difficult. I can't help with that."

"I see," he said distantly. "If you were Kira, I don't believe you would have shared that much."

I sighed, "Take your hand out of your pocket."

He did as I said and I grabbed it. His eyes widened as he stared at the reflection. My angel reflection stared back. I didn't look the same as I had when I was human. My light brown hair was no longer straight. Instead it rippled from my head, reaching my waist. My sea green eyes stared back as my skin glowed gently. I was dressed in an elegant white dress, wispy sleeves reaching beyond my hands.

He didn't let go as he stared at me, "What are you?"

"Your trump card," I said quietly. "Kira cannot kill you."

He slowly released my hand. "I see."

I walked away and sat back down, the pillow in my lap again as I yawned. Aizawa gave me a blank look, "Now isn't exactly the time to start dating L of all people."

"I can have some fun, can't I?" I asked.

The Chief gave me a hard look, "I suggest you keep your feelings for anyone amongst us to yourself, Ms. Rocha. We do not need that getting in the way of this investigation."

I smiled, "Of course, Chief."

One by one, L spoke to all of them. I fell over, my legs hanging off the arm of the couch. This was taking forever.

L finally came back and took his seat, but I didn't move out of my position. I was comfortable.

"Ms. Rocha, if you don't start acting more professional I will kick you off this team," the Chief said.

"No," L said. "She has to stay on this team. Should she die by Kira will be the ultimate change in Kira's motive. The moment he starts killing women is when we know we've gotten close."

I sighed as I sat up and crossed my legs under me. L had his cheek in his hand as if he were bored.

"I apologize for questioning all of you like that, but I'm afraid I had no other choice," L said. "I've determined that Kira is not among us."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Ryuzaki, how can you be certain we're all innocent?" The Chief asked.

"Well, to be honest, from the beginning, I set a number of traps that would reveal if any of you was Kira, but after speaking with you one on one, I don't feel the need."

A phone rang. L moved to pull out his phone. "Excuse me."

He held it with one hand then pulled the bottom half down. Holding the screen half with his fingers a few inches from his face, he began his conversation with whoever. "Understood. I'm just about finished here anyway. You've got the key, so let yourself in." He used his free hand to push the END button. "Watari's on his way."

All of us were shocked at that.

It didn't take long for the door to click open. I watched the old man enter the room. Dressed in a brown fedora and brown trench as usual, the only thing that was missing was his mask.

He removed his hat, giving us a clear view of his face. His grey hair was slicked back and he wore square glasses in front of his closed eyes. A thick grey broom-like mustache rested above his upper lip.

"Gentlemen, my dear, it's an honor to meet all of you," Watari said.

"Uhm, what about your usual outfit?" Matsuda asked.

"If I dressed like that, I'd be announcing to the world that I am Watari," he replied. "That's all it takes to give away our headquarters and Ryuzaki."

"Oh, I see," Matsuda said.

"Ordinarily, I would never show my face to any of you. The fact that I'm here is proof of Ryuzaki's trust."

"Now that you mention it, I do feel honored," Matsuda said with an awkward laugh.

"Well then, I brought those items you requested," Watari said, presenting a metallic case. "It's all here."

"Could you please pass them out to everyone?" L asked politely.

He opened the case showing police I.D.s. I smiled as I picked one up, "You really thought this one through."

"Gentlemen, my dear, these are your new police I.D.s," Watari explained.

"But, what for?" Aizawa asked.

"Our names and ranks are false," the Chief noted.

"Why did you give us fake I.D.s?" Ukita asked.

"As you know, Kira requires a name and a face to kill," L said as he took a sip of his tea. "We will confront him with that premise in mind. I think it should be obvious why."

"Yes, but, of all people the police shouldn't use fake I.D.s," Ukita argued.

"Enough," the Chief said. "What choice do we really have given the capabilities of our enemy? As long as you're working on this case, I think we're going to need all the protection one can get. It would be foolish not to use them."

"Yeah, you got a good point," Matsuda agreed.

"Remember, any time you're in a situation and you need to give out your name to a stranger, be sure to use the name from your fake I.D. Understood?" L asked as he picked up his cup. "And be careful not to take them out while in the presence of other police officers. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that could cause problems for us."

All of us gave a nod.

"Very well then," Watari said as he opened another case. "I'd like to request you wear these at all times."

Belts.

"Uh, belts?" Matsuda asked.

Everyone stood up, while I stayed seated.

"Each one has a transmitter hidden in the buckle," Watari explained. "This will allow Ryuzaki to monitor your whereabouts. And when you press the buckle twice like this," he demonstrated. A phone rang immediately after and Watari pulled a phone from his pocket. "My cellphone will ring, displaying your name and I'll call you back immediately, but you won't see my number displayed. In the morning, all of you will go to the police station as usual. Then, later on in the day, we'll use this method to confirm the name of Ryuzaki's hotel and his room number. Please use these for emergencies as well."

He passed out the belts, handing me one as well. I was hoping I wouldn't get one.

"No way, this is totally cool!" Matsuda exclaimed. "I feel like some sort of secret agent going after Kira!"

"Quiet, Matsuda," the Chief scolded. "This is not the time to be fooling around. Knock it off!"

Matsuda looked like a dog with its tail between its legs. "Yes sir," he replied dismally.

"Oh, and come to think of it, who's at the police station right now?" L asked.

"Actually no one's there at the moment," the Chief replied.

"That's not good news," L said. "We need someone there at all times. Work in shifts if you have to."

"I understand. Aizawa, I'll put you in charge of that for today," the Chief directed.

Aizawa stood, agreeing to the job and leaving.

"I want all videos when the FBI agents died. Where they were and what was happening all during that day," L said. "Ms. Rocha, you'll be in charge of that for now. I'm certain you can handle it."

"You'll have them all in a few days," I assured.

I went back to the police station and pulled up the FBI files, searching for where they were killed.

"What are you doing here, Rookie?" Aizawa asked.

"Ryuzaki put me in charge of video surveillance on the days the FBI died."

"I see," he said as he stood behind me. "That'll take a while, won't it?"

"Only if you're nice about it," I said as I picked up the phone and started pushing buttons. "Hello, this is Sergeant Niko from the Task Force. I need all video surveillance on December 27."

"Look lady-"

"No, you look," I said sharply. "Those videos better be ready when I come for them or I will shut down that subway as a crime scene investigation for Kira. Is that understood?"

"They'll be ready at the end of the day," he grumped and slammed the phone.

"Subway, check," I said.

Aizawa gave me a blank look, "You really aren't a nice person, are you?"

"Not something I've ever been accused of," I said as I picked up the phone again, "At least we'll have all the tapes."

More rather rude phone calls were made. By the end of the day, the places were preparing the tapes for me to pick them up.

Ukita walked in, "Hey Rookie," he greeted as I shrugged my jacket on. "Leaving already?"

"Aizawa is helping me get the surveillance videos."

"I didn't agree to that!"

"Now you have," I said. "Let's go. I can't carry them all by myself, and I don't have a car."

"Since when are you in charge of me?"

"Since Ryuzaki made me. I'm a Sergeant!"

He glared playfully, "Alright, kid. Let's go."

The subways were the only ones we needed to pick up at the moment. And that was a lot.

When we got in the car, I pushed my belt buckle twice. My phone rang. "Hello," I greeted cheerfully.

"Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Gabrielle?"

"I've got surveillance videos from the subway stations. The others are still getting put together. We're bringing by the subway videos."

"Understood."

We went to the new hotel. I didn't bother remembering the name. I'd just be going to a new one in a few days.

So we wouldn't be questioned, we placed all the videos into suitcases and headed into the hotel. I hummed as the elevator went up.

"Are you always this annoying?" Aizawa asked.

"Are you always this boring?" I asked.

"How can you be a transfer from Portugal if you're still a kid?"

"Ryuzaki's a child compared to you," I said. "Yet the entire world respects him."

He grunted, "About all this with Ryuzaki, what do you really think?"

"About what?"

"About him. I mean, he's just weird."

I stared at the brass doors. "He is weird. But that makes him who he is. What were you expecting? Someone like Watari?"

"Yeah, actually."

I sighed as I shoved my hands into my pockets, "Isn't it more convenient he's who he is?"

The elevator opened and we stepped off.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I knocked on the door, "If Kira passed someone as professional as Watari, he would automatically assume that was Ryuzaki. Not some young guy like this."

"You have a good point," Aizawa said as the door opened.

I looked at Aizawa, "Don't talk too loudly. Sounds like he's asleep."

"Very good, Ms. Rocha," Watari said quietly. "How did you know that?"

"He didn't say anything."

An amused smile twitched his mustache. "Very observant of you. Please, put them over there."

We placed the cases down by the couch were I found L asleep. I smiled lightly.

A cup appeared in front of me, "Ryuzaki would like you to immediately start examining the tapes, if you could."

I looked at Aizawa, "Are you cool with picking up the rest of the tapes?"

"I'll put Matsuda on the job," he said. "Good luck."

I looked at my coffee cup, "He's expecting a lot from me. Well, let's get this party started."

I helped Watari move the other two TVs to the living room and hooked up the VCR. Sitting in front of the couch so I wouldn't disturb L, I started the three movies, examining them as close as I could.

I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until something was tugged from my grip. I snatched my cup back, glaring at L.

I rubbed my eyes, "Sorry. I must have fallen asleep."

"Yes," he said taking the cup from me again. "Did you learn anything while you were awake?"

"No," I said as I yawned. "How long was I asleep?"

"Aizawa just brought in more tapes," L replied. "If you need to go home, go ahead."

With a glare, I sat up straighter and took the cup back. "No, I'm watching them."

The dark lines under his eyes were lighter. He didn't argue as he moved over on the couch letting me sit with him. We were watching some restaurant. A bigger cup of coffee appeared in front of my face. I smiled up at Watari, "Thank you."

L took the cup and started putting sugar cubes in it. I yawned as I watched him continue. I lost count after ten. He stopped and stirred it then took a sip and handed it to me. "This should help," he told me.

I raised an eyebrow as I took it from him. The roasted smell had turned to a sweeter woodsy smell. I took a sip and felt instant energy shoot through me from the sweetness. There was no bitter left. It was a nice taste, but it was a strange change.

"What you showed me," L started. "In the window. Can you stay like that?"

"If I choose," I replied. "It's harder for humans to grasp the supernatural so most of us are in human form. Chances are you would have never known if I hadn't shown you. I've never shown anyone before."

"I see," he said, his thumb to his lip, "Why me?"

"For the case," I replied quietly. "You'll understand later. Just…keep your mind open to everything."

"I'll let you do that," he said. "Clearly there is something you know and I don't."

I took a sip of the coffee, "Humans are complicated."

"Have you ever been human?"

"Yeah, long time ago."

He gave me a curious glance. "When?"

"Mid-to-late 1600s. I was 23 when I died. And this is what I looked like, actually."

Absolutely nothing was going on in these videos. No hints of Kira, just people dropping dead.

"Rocha!"

I jumped and turned my attention to the Chief. "Sir?"

"Go home and get some rest," he said with an annoyed tone.

I looked to my right and found L watching the TV. "You fell asleep on me," he told me. "You have stayed up long enough, Ms. Gabrielle. Go home."

I nodded with a tired yawn. I almost made it to the door when someone grabbed me by the wrist. On impulse, I swung my fist, slamming it into the wall. The Chief stared at me in shock then it turned to anger. "You're off the case."

"I told you, she has to stay," L said. "All of us are risking our lives, but hers is the most important at the moment. As a woman, she will be able to attract the attention of Kira. As a woman on the Task Force, she can be used to our advantage."

"I've never been an enchantress before," I muttered. "Call me when you need me."

I headed back to my apartment and fell onto my couch, not bothering to change.

My phone vibrated. I groaned, "Hello?"

"Ms. Gabrielle, how would you like to join me in a college entrance exam?" L asked.

"Why?"

"I've got a suspect and I would like you to help me investigate him on a more casual relationship."

"Us or me and him?"

"All of us. Please go to To-oh University this weekend. There will be an entrance exam at 8. Please make it in time and try your best to actually get accepted into the college."

"Ok," I muttered.

I hung up and looked at the screen on my phone. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but the test was tomorrow. In fact, it was going to start in about five hours. Yawning, I got up and went to the bathroom, taking a long shower. When I got out and blow dried my hair.

If I had been taken off the case, I wouldn't have had to be human. But it didn't matter anymore. L had something planned. It probably wasn't going to be fun for me, but this case wasn't exactly on the 'fun' list.

After getting dressed, I headed out for some breakfast. What scared me was seeing Watari at the small café. His mustache twitched with a smile as he stood up. "If you'll join me, Ms. Gabrielle."

I sat down across from him, "How did you know I was going to be here?"

"The transmitter on your belt. Leaving at five in the morning just so you could get to that test? I believe you would like the full information of what Ryuzaki has planned for you."

I rested my chin in my hand as he cleared his throat. "Our suspect is Light Yagami, the Chief's son. Ryuzaki wants to get to know him and plans on meeting him in person as a way to scare him. He wants to introduce you to Light as his girlfriend and you will stay at college under the alias on your police badge. We hope, by using this approach, Light will try to get closer to you. He will, no doubt, show interest, but should he start pushing for information, you should tell Ryuzaki immediately. Ryuzaki will be using an alias as well. Hideki Ryuga. Are you comfortable with this?"

"As long as it's Ryuzaki I'm 'dating' I don't have a problem. Tell him I'm not dating anyone else."

He smiled some, "Very well."

He got up and walked away, leaving me with my breakfast. I had been craving sweets since…I couldn't remember. I remembered my coffee used to not have sugar, but it was like I couldn't get enough.

As I headed to the bus stop to take me to the To-oh University, I found L sitting on the bench. This really couldn't get better.

I stood next to him, my hands in my pockets, "Whatcha doing?"

"Waiting for my girlfriend," he replied easily.

It was weird to think about, but whatever. I just had to go with it. "Sounds like a plan. Is it going to take long to get there?"

"A couple of hours," he replied. "Are you really prepared for this?" His dark eyes gazed up at me. "It can be a different relationship, you know."

"Don't worry about me," I said crossing my arms over my chest. "The last time I 'dated' someone was because he was the hitman on my former."


	5. Chapter 5

L and I sat together. I sighed as I rested my head against the window, watching the world go by.

"You seem bored," L said.

"I'm tired," I told him. "How long was I awake?"

"Roughly 97 hours."

"Just over four days," I mumbled. "Wow, that's really sad."

"I think it's impressive," he stated. "Even I can't stay awake for that long."

"My record is eight," I said nonchalantly. "That was not fun."

"It doesn't sound fun," he commented.

"So, Hideki, what does To-oh have to offer?"

"Justice," he replied.

The bus stopped and cold took over the bus. I watched a young man with brown hair step on board. Light Yagami. He had no date of death.

I grabbed L's hand, squeezing it some. He looked at me and I just smiled, "Just bad memories on this side of town."

He lifted my hand, placing his lips on it, his dark eyes never leaving mine, "Perhaps we can change that."

I blushed then felt a wave of panic when he sat behind us.

This was not good.

He gently rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, trying to calm me down.

How was I supposed to tell him Kira was on the bus with us?

I could feel his gaze. Had the shinigami told him that our dates of death were missing? Then again, L couldn't die.

I slowly relaxed, but kept my hand in his. When we arrived at the school, L and I were separated. The cold stayed in the room, but the shinigami couldn't feel my presence. Just knew that there was no name or date of death.

"And, begin," the man said.

I opened my book and started scanning and answering. I hadn't had to take a test like this in a long time.

I heard some sort of announcement made, but I ignored it as I continued the test.

After the test, L and I walked back to the bus stop. We wouldn't have the results for a few weeks.

"I don't think I'd do well in college," L said as we waited. "I got in trouble for sitting incorrectly."

"So that's what the announcement was."

L just stared at me. "What if the building had been on fire?"

"I would have smelled smoke," I said with a smile. "Eventually, at least. Then All I'd have to do is walk out. No problem."

Icy wind brushed past my skin as Light boarded the bus. As the bus disappeared, I sighed, "Light is Kira," I told L quietly. "Feel free to doubt me."

"I don't," L told me. "You are supernatural, so something supernatural is involved. I have formally announced that you are no longer on the team, but until we rule Light out, you will still have contact with me. You said you can't be seen by others, so you will be at the meetings, only in that form instead."

"You just love to make life difficult for everyone."

He gave an amused smile, "Just yours. Tell me, in your supernatural form, can you see these shinigami?"

"I can't tell you," I replied. "You don't even really believe in me. And I'm standing right here."

He hummed thoughtfully, "Yes, that's true."

A black car pulled up. L opened the door and got in. Even I could tell it was an expensive car.

"Aren't you coming?" L asked.

"Yeah, sorry."

I got in and smiled, "Hey Watari."

"Hello Ms. Gabrielle."

My attention went to the large college as the car began to move. "I'm a little…old for college."

When we got the results, both of us had almost the same score. I was one point lower than him.

"I'm impressed."

"Right," I muttered. "I was hoping I wouldn't make it."

It was April when the opening term started. L had to make some sort of speech. Amongst the suits and dresses, L was the only one that was still casual. Even I was in a dress.

"You go and buy me a dress but what do you wear? That," I hissed as I stood next to him, my hands folded in front of my waist.

"You're used to wearing dresses, aren't you?" He asked.

"That's easier to wear than this," I grumbled. "I feel exposed."

Unlike my long white dress, this dress reached my knees. And I was wearing shoes with it. That was the weirdest part. I didn't like it.

After a while, all of us got into the room and sat down in our seats. L got to sit by Light while I was three rows back.

"Now for the freshman address," a man behind the stand said. "Freshmen representative, Light Yagami."

"Yes," Light answered as he stood up.

"And freshmen representative, Hideki Ryuga."

I heard whispers through the group about a pop star. So that's where it came from. I had never thought to ask.

"What's up with his wear," a girl next to me asked. "That isn't something you wear to these sorts of things."

"Everyone has their view on appropriate wear," I replied. "He may not have the money to buy something more appropriate. But, I agree with him. This isn't a big deal."

The long boring speech was repeated twice. I thought I was going to die of boredom.

When the two sat back down and another boring speech began, I saw it happen. L told Light who he truly was. Things were finally getting interesting.


End file.
